News Intel customer bemoans CPU RMA process — furious owner says Intel claims brand new Core i9-14900K chips purchased from Amazon and Microcenter are fake

[Admin]

Intel says that a Reddit user's RMA claims were counterfeit products, threatening to destroy them if the user goes through with the returns. In the meantime, Microcenter and Amazon accepted the defective Intel chips and gave a refund despite the CPUs already falling out of the return window.

Intel customer bemoans CPU RMA process — furious owner says Intel claims brand new Core i9-14900K chips purchased from Amazon and Microcenter are fake : Read more

 

[-Fran-]

"We give you two more years, but we'll do everything in our power to decline".

Yeah... Not really the best of publicity for Intel right now.

A Recall is the only thing that will restore "good faith" (if there ever was any) with Intel. They really need to ponder that one in a more serious manner. As it stands, the 2 extra years is a red herring of good will.

Regards.

 

[mac_angel]

Not surprised. I have already posted on here a few months ago about the absolute stupidity of their outsourced tech/warranty support and the fight that I had to go through to get my CPU RMA'd.

 

[oofdragon]

Well deserves for everyone buying Intel, you feed the troll you get trolled

 

[awake283]

What's the point of two years extended warranty if they don't honor the claims?

 

[dmitche31958]

Trying to decide between AMD and Intel at the moment I can say that after reading this I won’t consider Intel.

 

[awake283]

I just built my current rig a month ago.. first new PC in a decade. I was torn between an i9 13900K and a 7800X3D. I am uh... really glad I made the choice I did.

 

[Taslios]

The warranty is only as good as their willingness to honor it.

"Trust me Bro" only works if we trust you.... and I think if this is common, Intel may manage to leave such a bad taste in people's mouths that it will be "human" generations before people are wiling to "trust their bro"

 

[tamalero]

holy f... when they have the audacity to say "yes, we know our chips are defective, yours seems so but also we think your chips are fake so.. we might destroy your units and giving nothing back" is bonkers.
They are pretty much stronholdi

 

[jp7189]

For those thinking Intel should do a recall, consider that potentially 10's of millions of CPUs are affected, and there's no way they have that kind of stock on hand. It might be the right thing to do, but it may simply not be a realistic possibly for them to execute.

 

[diminishedfifth]

Intel is really trying to claim the title of being the scummiest in all of PC

 

[Notton]

For those thinking Intel should do a recall, consider that potentially 10's of millions of CPUs are affected, and there's no way they have that kind of stock on hand. It might be the right thing to do, but it may simply not be a realistic possibly for them to execute.

Auto manufacturers do this all the time.

It's called a rolling recall. You get put into a queue, and all you have to do is bring it to the dealer when it's your turn.

 

[Alvar "Miles" Udell]

When the Reddit poster sent clearer photos of the Amazon chip, Intel changed its stance, saying it was indeed a boxed processor.

It sounds to me like the photos initially provided were unclear, quite easy to do especially if used with certain TIMs that effectively stain or even etch the IHS (IC Diamond, for example), and once clearer ones were provided they authorized it. Either that or they were using "AI" to identify eligible CPUs and it was being typical AI.

 

[singemagique]

Wow! This is really crappy of Intel, glad I no longer own their stock (although there may be some fun options plays). I will be returning to AMD for my next main build. My last main desktop AMD build was a k6-2 back in the late 90s.

 

[jayjr1105]

counterfeit products??? There were functional counterfeit Intel processors??

 

[Alvar "Miles" Udell]

counterfeit products??? There were functional counterfeit Intel processors??

It has happened in the past

https://www.tomshardware.com/news/NewEgg-Fake-Corei7-D-H-Distributing,9814.html

 

[octavecode]

I gave up on Intel when they didn't allow any benchmarks after the meltdown spectre fiasco and didn't regret it ever since. They will do everything they can, to fool the customer and that's a red card from me.

 

[jayjr1105]

It has happened in the past

https://www.tomshardware.com/news/NewEgg-Fake-Corei7-D-H-Distributing,9814.html

But those were fake as in not working paperweights. These ones apparently worked for some time and then died and Intel claims counterfeit??

 

[slightnitpick]

But those were fake as in not working paperweights. These ones apparently worked for some time and then died and Intel claims counterfeit??

Intel doesn't know that they were working, that's just the claim of the person wanting the RMA. And a person could easily have a working Intel processor, but decide to RMA a broken fake processor using the paperwork of their working Intel processor order. It wouldn't be impossible to swap lids on processors if you know what you are doing.

 

[Sluggotg]

I built 5 computers based on the 13th/14th gen i9 K/KS series processors. Including one for my Brother. Intel is really destroying any good will that they had before. Now all 5 builds will eventually have to have 12900K processors, because it is not a case of IF the 13/14 CPUs will fail, but WHEN.

Intel thinks that if their CPUs "Wear Out" after a few years, (Shortly after the warranty), everyone will be happy. I have a Sandy Bridge Build that has been in service since the CPU Came out. It has ran Overclocked all these years without any kind of issue.

There is literally no way to avoid the CPU failures. Intel has no plan to Fix the Manufacturing/Design issues. One of my MBs was over $1,000, three were 500-800ish and one was about 300. To restore them into long term reliability, it will cost me thousands to buy AMD CPUs, MBs and RAM.
I guess Senior Management at Intel likes to reward customers this way.

I have done many AMD builds too. I am a Fan of Both AMD and Intel, (how Intel handles this will decide if I EVER, buy an Intel CPU again, YOUR CHOICE INTEL).

 

[Conor Stewart]

Some items I can understand manufacturers being worried about fakes but as far as I know there are no fakes that even come close to Intel's defective CPUs. They are just too complex to fake at this point. Even if they are worried about fakes it would be a very simple test, again as nothing else even remotely comes close even in its defective state other than AMD CPUs.

You also know that Intel will have packed all of their products with loads of identifiers (physical and digital) to make spotting fakes very easy.

So what is Intel actually worried about? It seems they just want to dissuade people from doing the RMA process.

If you had a functional CPU beforehand that showed up in your PC as the right CPU with performance you would expect then there is no chance it is fake. No matter what Intel says, that die at the very least and almost guaranteed the rest of the CPU came from an Intel factory, it is not fake. If they try to claim a previously functional CPU is fake then they are just straight up lying unless they can provide proof of someone making functional fake Intel CPUs that are close enough to the original that most users wouldn't notice.

 

[TheHerald]

It sounds to me like the photos initially provided were unclear, quite easy to do especially if used with certain TIMs that effectively stain or even etch the IHS (IC Diamond, for example), and once clearer ones were provided they authorized it. Either that or they were using "AI" to identify eligible CPUs and it was being typical AI.

Nah, let's go on a mad hatred against intel for no reason. Why let facts get in the way of that?

 

[YSCCC]

What's the point of two years extended warranty if they don't honor the claims?

To do image repair and "show" good will. Let the news go out and the fanboys will just rave "look, this is great and intel is having great RMA, it's you hater's issue" and keep their market share, I can gave you 500 years personal warranty for anything you buy from me, but I can dismiss it and not returning the product if it failed my inspection (with examples) is surely a good way of business

 

[YSCCC]

It sounds to me like the photos initially provided were unclear, quite easy to do especially if used with certain TIMs that effectively stain or even etch the IHS (IC Diamond, for example), and once clearer ones were provided they authorized it. Either that or they were using "AI" to identify eligible CPUs and it was being typical AI.

Likely AI things where they scan the font to flag up "issues", up till that part I am still kinda given Intel a fair pass, but then wtf is threatening he can still RMA but if they throught who knows what process identified that "it is a fake", they won't even return that fake stuff with reasoning so you could possibly sue those who sell it to you or let third party to check? A big company can risk $600 of CPU to be written off, but an individual buying his own working CPU which breaks later, send in for RMA and the response is "you can still send in, but we might not return it and deny the RMA also"? even you are 100% sure you are buying from an official dealer like Microcenter, I doubt many customers will send it in for RMA seeing that message

 

[TheHerald]

What's the point of two years extended warranty if they don't honor the claims?

Who says they don't honor the claims?